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A  CORN-BELT  FARMING  SYSTEM 

WHICH   SAVES  HARVEST  LABOR  BY 

HOGGING  DOWN  CROPS 


J.  A.  DRAKE 

I) 
Agriculturist 


FARMERS'  BULLETIN  614 
UNITED  STATES  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 


OFFICE  OF  THE  SECRETARY 

Contribution  from  the  Office  of  Farm  Management 
W.  J.  SPILLMAN,  Chief 


Washington,  D.  C. 


Revised  March,  1917 


Additional  copies  of  this  bulletin  may  be  obtained  free  from  the 
Division  of  Publications,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture 


WASHINGTON  :  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE  ;  1917 


E\BOR  and  the  maintenance  of  fertility  are  two 
of  the  more  serious  problems  of  the  average 
corn-belt  farm.  This  bulletin  gives  the  details  of 
a  system  of  farming  efficient  in  meeting  both.  By 
this  system  farm  labor  in  general  is  distributed 
well  throughout  the  year,  and  harvest  labor  is  re- 
duced to  a  minimum  by  hogging  or  pasturing  off 
all  or  a  large  part  of  the  three  main  crops — corn, 
rye,  and  clover.  This  process  of  harvesting 'not 
only  saves  much  labor  at  rush  seasons  but  keeps  up 
soil  fertility. 


A  CORN-BELT  FARMING  SYSTEM  WHICH  SAVES 
HARVEST  LABOR  BY  HOGGING  DOWN  CROPS. 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 
2 

Rye  or  wheat  —  which?  

Page. 
11 

4 

The  corn  crop 

...       11 

The  siz©  of  th.6  fields 

6 

The  sources  of  income  

13 

7 

13 

The  money  income  per  acre.  .  . 

10 

Summary  

16 

FIG.  1.— Map  of  the  United  States  showing,  by  shadedlines, 
the  territory  to  which  this  bulletin  is  applicable. 


system  of  farming  herein  outlined  provides  productive  labor 
for  practically  the  entire  year  and  at  the  same  time  so  distributes 
this  labor  as  to  make  it  possible  for  one  man,  practically  without 
hired  help,  to  handle  a  large  acreage,  making  a  net  income  considera- 
bly greater  than  is  at  present  commonly  obtained  on  farms  of  similar 
size  in  the  corn-belt  States 
(fig.  1) .  This  system  rap- 
idly increases  the  produc- 
tiveness of  the  land  and  is 
designed  to  conserve  soil 
fertility  to  the  greatest 
possible  degree.  It  affords 
a  solution  for  some  urgent 
and  difficult  farm  problems. 

Labor  in  itself  constitutes 
one  of  the  hardest  problems 
encountered  on  the  average 
farm.  Not  only  is  this  now 
true,  but  the  situation  seems  to  be  growing  more  serious  each  year. 
The  cost  of  extra  labor  is  becoming  greater,  and  efficient  labor  on  the 
farm  is  more  difficult  to  secure  when  needed  most.  Transient  labor 
for  the  general  farm  is  very  unsatisfactory.  As  a  rule,  also,  it  is  not 
convenient  or  profitable  to  keep  the  necessary  extra  labor  throughout 
the  entire  year,  even  if  it  were  available.  This  condition  must  soon 
result  in  the  reorganization  of  a  large  number  of  farms  throughout  the 
corn  belt,  and  in  other  sections  as  well.  The  main  features  of  these 
changes  must  be  (1)  a  better  distribution  of  labor  throughout  the 
entire  season  and  (2)  systems  that  will  reduce  the  extra  labor 
required  at  certain  critical  seasons  of  the  year  to  a  minimum. 

The  average  corn-belt  farm  must  be  *devoted  largely  to  the  growing 
of  staple  field  crops,  such  as  can  be  planted  and  cultivated  by  ma- 
chinery and  handled  on  a  large  scale.  There  is  little  place  in  that 

NOTE.— This  bulletin  was  prepared  originally  in  the.  Bureau  of  Plant  Industry  and  published  Nov. 
13, 1914. 

3C5712  l 


2  ^AKMEKS     BULLETIN   614. 

region  for  crops  that  yield  a  big  income  per  acre,  such  as  truck  crops 
and  small  fruits,  except  in  a  few  localities  close  to  cities,  where  good 
markets  are  available.  The  tendency  in  most  sections  is  for  the 
labor  of  the  farm  to  be  done  by  one  man  or  by  one  man  and  his  family. 
Occasionally  it  is  done  by  the  owner  or  tenant  and  a  hired  man. 
In  this  case  it  is  rare  that  the  hired  man  can  be  depended  upon  to 
stay  the  entire  year,  unless  he  has  a  family  and  is  furnished  a  place  to 
live.  In  any  event,  it  is  growing  more  imperative  that  the  efficiency 
of  the  one  man  be  increased  as  much  as  possible  in  such  operations  as 
plowing,  planting,  and  cultivating  the  farm  crops,  and  that  all  the 
labor  possible  be  eliminated  in  the  harvesting  of  these  crops,  in 
order  to  cover  a  greater  acreage  effectively  and  at  the  same  time  to 
use  the  greatest  economy  in  the  employment  of  outside  labor,  inas- 
much as  it  is  so  difficult  to  secure. 

Already  this  has  given  rise  to  certain  well-formed  and  definite 
systems  which  include  these  elements  as  prominent  features  in  the 
management  of  the  farm.  In  several  widely  separated  places  prac- 
tically the  same  system  has  been  worked  out.  In  all  of  these  in- 
stances 3  and  4  horse  machinery  is  being  rapidly  substituted  for 
that  of  the  2-horse  type,  in  order  to  double  the  efficiency  of  each  man 
employed.  Crops  are  being  grown  that  do  not  compete  for  labor. 
Live  stock  is  being  used  in  every  way  possible  in  the  harvesting  of 
the  crops  produced,  thus  eliminating  to  a  very  great  extent  the 
necessity  of  hiring  extra  labor.  By  this  process,  also,  the  soil  is 
being  brought  to  a  higher  stage  of  productiveness. 

THE  CROPPING  SYSTEM. 

A  system  which  meets  the  requirements  of  the  average  conditions 
in  the  corn  belt  has  been  found  in  actual  operation  on  a  number  of 
widely  separated  farms.  It  is  one  of  the  most  definite  and  clearly 
defined  systems  that  have  been  encountered  during  several  years  of 
farm-management  studies  throughout  the  region.  It  has  been  de- 
vised by  the  farmers  themselves,  as  they  have  been  forced  gradually 
to  meet  present  conditions. 

The  system  in  itself  is  very  simple.  Only  three  different  crops  are 
grown,  and  these  follow  in  a  4  or  5  year  rotation  that  is  easily  man- 
aged. The  crops  are  corn,  rye,  and  a  mixture  of  clover  and  timothy, 
or  clover  alone,  as  is  thought  best.  The  rotation  in  its  4-year  form 
is  corn,  corn,  rye,  and  timothy  and  clover.  The  5-year  rotation  is 
the  same,  with  the  exception  that  the  clover  and  timothy  are  allowed 
to  stand  two  years  instead  of  one. 

The  ease  with  which  the  labor  of  such  a  rotation  is  taken  care  of  is 
very  evident.  Corn  is  the  first  and  only  crop  to  receive  attention 
during  the  spring  and  early  summer  until  time  to  lay  it  by,  at  which 
time  hay  harvest  begins.  Since  the  rye  is  harvested  later  by  the 


A   CORN-BELT   FARMING   SYSTEM. 


3 


hogs,  there  is  nothing  to  correspond  to  the  wheat  harvest,  which 
always  comes  at  about  the  time  the  corn  crop  should  be  given  its  last 
cultivation.  Haying,  then,  is  the  only  job  to  look  after  from  the 
time  the  corn  is  laid  by  until  it  is  necessary  to  cut  corn  or  sow  the  fall 
grain,  which  in  this  case  is  rye.  Thus  the  program  is  not  crowded, 
and  eachcropcan  have  its  due  attention  withoutrushingorslighting  any 
part  of  the  work.  This  makes  it  possible  for  a  given  crew  to  handle 
a  maximum  acreage  with  the  least  possible  expense  for  outside  help. 
In  order  that  a  clear  and  definite  understanding  may  be  had  of  the 
entire  system,  its  rotations,  the  layout  of  the  fields;  and  the  methods 
of  handling  the  live  stock,  a  diagram  with  fields  numbered  and  crops 
indicated  is  presented  herewith  (fig.  2). 


1 

z 

3 

4 

Z> 

CORN 

COR  N 

RYE 

CLOVER 

TIMOTHY 

1st 

2d> 

AND 

/MO 

AND 

VEAR  , 

ye*  ft, 

YOUNG 

T/MOTHY, 

Ci-OVER 

TO   BE. 

TO  BE  CL/T 

CLOVER, 

HOG- 

FOR 

HOGGED 

AND  RYE 

HOGGED 

PASTURED. 

H/tY    OR 

OFF. 

3OW/V. 

OFF   flND 

PASTURE. 

PASTURED. 

^              »-*Nt                         ^     V                     /5         *«*•"      ^                                                      /^ 

FIG.  2. — Plan  of  a  farm  run  on  a  5-year  rotation. 

This  drawing  represents  an  actual  farm  as  it  is  being  operated,  with 
the  exception  that  one  field  is  left  in  permanent  pasture.  Thus,  the 
real  farm  is  being  run  on  a  4-year  rotation,  but  for  the  sake  of  illus- 
tration it  is  shown  on  the  5-year  plan,  which,  everything  considered, 
is  probably  the  most  desirable.  This  depends  somewhat  on  the  size 
of  the  farm.  If  the  farm  is  of  sufficient  size,  a  sixth  field  may  well  be 
added  and  devoted  to  permanent  pasture. 

As  the  crops  are  arranged  in  the  drawing,  the  rotation  moves  one 
field  to  the  right  each  year.  The  details  of  the  crop  management  are 
as  follows : 

Field  No.  1. — The  crop  in  field  No.  1  is  first-year  corn,  or  corn  the 
first  year  after  sod.  This  corn  is  grown  and  hogged  off  as  soon  as  it 
is  ripe.  This  process  generally  begins  as  soon  as  the  corn  has  become 
hard  and  as  soon  as  the  hogs  can  be  brought  up  to  full  feed,  or  about 
September  1  to  10.  On  some  farms  the  commendable  practice  is 
followed  of  sowing  soy  beans  or  rape,  or  both,  at  the  last  cultivation 
of  the  corn,  in  order  to  furnish  pasturage  for  the  hogs  while  gathering 
the  corn  crop.  Generally  this  will  furnish  a  large  amount  of  forage, 
and  it  is  valuable  not  only  on  this  account,  but  because  of  the  humus- 
forming  material  it  affords  that  will  be  turned  back  into  the  soil.  The 
success  of  this  practice  depends  somewhat  on  local  conditions,  but  it 
comes  in  so  nicely  with  the  hogging  down  of  the  corn  and  requires  so 


4  FARMERS'  BULLETIN  614. 

little  labor  that  it  is  worth  a  thorough  trial.  The  following  spring 
the  stalks  and  trash  that  remain  on  the  surface  of  the  field  are  cut 
over  with  a  sharp  disk.  This  is  the  first  step  in  the  preparation  of 
this  field  for  the  second-year  corn  to  follow. 

Field  No.  2. — Field  No.  2  is  devoted  to  second-year  corn,  or  corn 
following  the  year  previous.  Rye  must  be  sown  here  in  the  fall 
in  order  to  furnish  a  field  of  rye  for  the  next  season,  which,  in 
turn,  affords  a  ready  means  of  getting  a  stand  of  clover  and  timothy. 
If  it  is  a  normal  season  and  the  corn  stands  well,  the  rye  may  be 
sown  in  the  standing  corn  with  a  1-horse  drill.  If  this  is  not  possible, 
the  corn  must  be  cut  as  early  as  is  allowable,  the  ground  prepared, 
and  the  rye  sown  after  the  corn  has  been  cut  and  shocked.  If  corn 
cutting  conies  late,  the  rye  may  be  sown  late  also  and  still  give  very 
good  results.  Rye  may  be  sown  much  later  than  wheat  with  much 
more  certainty  01  success.  In  some  instances  it  is  sown  so  late  that 
it  does  not  come  up  until  the  next  spring,  and  still  it  produces  a  fair 
crop.  This,  however,  is  not  desirable  if  it  can  be  avoided. 

Field  No.  3. — Field  No.  3  is  devoted  to  rye  during  the  entire  season. 
I  n  the  fall  of  the  year  previous,  timothy  is  sown  with  the  rye,  and  the 
clover  is  sown  in  the  rye  early  the  next  spring,  preferably  in  February. 
During  the  spring  the  rye  is  pastured  by  the  hogs  as  long  as  it  is 
palatable.  It  affords  excellent  pasturage,  which  is  quite  valuable 
for  young  hogs  and  brood  sows.  As  soon  as  it  becomes  tough  the 
hogs  will  begin  to  chew  it  for  the  juices  and  throw  the  remainder  out 
on  the  ground.  This  is  a  sign  that  they  have  derived  about  all  the 
benefit  they  are  capable  of  getting  from  the  green  pasturage.  They 
are  then  taken  out  and  are  not  returned  to  the  field  until  about  two 
weeks  after  the  rye  has  ripened.  Then  they  are  allowed  to  gather 
the  entire  crop  of  rye  and  graze  on  the  young  clover  that  has  come 
up  from  the  spring  seeding.  The  hogging  down  of  rye  is  discussed 
in  full  later  under  the  heading  "The  rye  crop." 

Field  No.  4- — The  clover  and  timothy  in  field  No.  4  in  a  5-year 
rotation  are  devoted  entirely  to  hog  pasture.  Where  this  plan  is  used 
with  a  4-year  rotation,  as  is  often  done,  the  grass  crop  on  this  field 
must  furnish  both  pasture  for  the  hogs  and  hay  for  the  horses  and  for 
the  cows  kept  for  family  use.  Hence,  it  is  seen  to  be  an  advantage  to 
sow  a  mixture  of  clover  and  timothy  instead  of  clover  alone.  The 
hogs  graze  principally  on  the  clover  and  leave  most  of  the  timothy 
to  be  cut  for  hay.  A  good  cutting  of  mixed  hay  can  generally  be 
taken  from  the  best  parts  of  the  field.  This  will  usually  be  sufficient 
for  the  horses  and  cows. 

Field  No.  5. — The  clover  and  timothy  in  field  No.  5  occupy  the 
ground  for  the  second  year.  It  should!  be  nearly  all  timothy,  though 
sometimes  a  good  deal  of  clover  may  be  present  also.  The  grass  crop 
on  this  field  is  cut  for  hay  and  may  be  sold.  Late  in  the  fall  it  is 
plowed  for  the  first-year  corn,  which  follows  the  next  year.  If  not 
pastured  too  closely,  this  affords  an  excellent  opportunity  to  plow 
under  a  good  second  growth  of  grass  that  will  be  very  beneficial  to 
the  land. 

THE  SYSTEM  OF  LIVE-STOCK  MANAGEMENT. 

The  principal  live  stock  to  be  kept  on  a  farm  using  this  system  is 
swine.  The  fall  pigs  are  turned  in  on  the  rye  in  field  No.  3  as  early  in 
the  spring  as  is  permissible.  This  is  generally  from  April  10  to  15. 


A   CORN-BELT  FARMING   SYSTEM.  5 

The  sows  and  their  spring  litters  are  turned  out  on  a  part  of  the  rye 
field  or  a  small  bluegrass  pasture  as  soon  as  the  pigs  are  old  enough 
to  travel  well  and  are  approaching  the  weaning  age.  When  they  are 
from  6  to  8  weeks  old  they  are  weaned  and  the  sows  taken  to  other 
inclosures,  where  they  are  bred  for  fall  litters. 

The  fall  shotes  and  the  spring  pigs  remain  on  the  rye  as  long  as  it 
is  tender  and  succulent.  This  varies  somewhat  with  the  season,  but 
generally  throughout  the  corn  belt  the  rye  has  become  so  woody  by 
May  1  to  15  that  it  no  longer  affords  good  pasturage,  and  at  this  time 
the  hogs  are  turned  from  the  rye  field,  shown  in  the  illustration  as 
field  No.  3,  into  the  first-year  clover  and  timothy  in  field  No.  4. 
There  they  receive  a  reasonably  liberal  corn  ration.1  This  is  con- 
tinued until  fully  two  weeks  have  elapsed  after  the  rye  has  ripened  in 
field  No.  3.  This  is  generally  about  July  15.  At  this  time  the  young 
hogs,  and  very  often  the  brood  sows  also,  are  all  turned  into  the  ripe 
rye  and  allowed  to  hog  it  down  and  to  eat  the  young  clover  along 
with  it.  While  engaged  in  this  operation  they  are  given  no  corn  or 
slop  feeds  whatever,  and  the  only  attention  they  require  is  to  be 
given  plenty  of  fresh  water. 

As  a  working  basis  on  which  calculations  may  be  made,  it  has  been 
found  that  six  100-pound  hogs  to  the  acre  will  gather  a  17-bushel  per 
acre  crop  of  rye  in  six  weeks.  Timed  in  this  way,  the  hogs  will  have 
the  average  rye  crop  harvested  by  September  1,  at  which  time  new 
corn  is  about  ready  to  feed.  Then,  as  soon  as  the  hogs  can  be  brought 
up  to  full  feed  on  the  new  corn,  or  about  September  10,  they  are  turned 
into  the  first-year  corn  in  field  No.  1.  There  they  remain  until  the 
field  is  hogged  off  or  they  are  sold.  This  will  be  about  November  1 
to  10  if  all  the  hogs  are  kept  until  the  entire  crop  is  gathered. 

Many  who  have  followed  this  system  have  found  it  advisable  to 
take  the  fall  shotes  out  of  the  rye  and  clover  field  about  August  15 
and  allow  them  to  finish  out  on  old  corn,  thus  getting  them  on  the 
market  before  the  rush  of  new-corn  hogs.  In  this  case  the  spring  pigs 
are  allowed  to  continue  gathering  the  rye,  and  if  any  is  left  when 
they  are  turned  into  cornfield  No.  1,  the  brood  sows  are  turned  in  or 
are  left  in  the  rye  field  to  clean  it  up. 

Thus,  the  whole  herd  is  furnished  pasture  and  grain  feed  throughout 
the  entire  spring,  summer,  and  fall,  which  the  hogs  have  gathered 
with  practically  no  labor  and  very  little  attention  on  the  part  of  the 
owner  or  the  man  who  operates  the  farm.  Besides  this,  the  brood 
sows  and  the  fall  litters  are  furnished  pasturage  on  the  rye  field 
during  the  fall  and  early  winter  of  the  same  year  it  is  sown. 

For  the  winter  feeding  of  the  fall  pigs  it  is  desirable  to  sow  a  few 
acres  of  soy  beans.  This  may  be  done  in  the  second-year  cornfield  or 

i  Two  or  three  pounds  of  shelled  corn  (5  or  6  average  ears)  for  each  100  pounds  of  live  weight  is  about  right. 


6  FAKMEBS*  BULLETIN  614. 

on  some  small  field  set  apart  for  that  purpose.  The  most  practical 
method  of  feeding  this  crop  is  to  cut  and  stack"  the  beans  when  ripe 
and  feed  them  out  as  hay.  Racks  may  be  provided  or  they  may  be 
fed  on  the  ground.  The  pigs  are  very  fond  of  them,  and  if  they  are 
not  fed  in  too  great  abundance  none  will  be  wasted.  Soy  beans  fed 
in  this  way  with  corn  make  one  of  the  most  satisfactory  winter  feeds 
that  can  be  grown  or  purchased  on  the  market. 

It  may  be  desirable  in  some  instances  to  enlarge  on  this  farm  sys- 
tem so  as  to  include  cattle  or  sheep  or  both  in  the  live  stock  kept. 
This  may  be  done  by  adding  a  sixth  field  to  the  plan  proposed  and 
allowing  it  to  remain  in  permanent  pasture.  Dairying  might  be 
introduced  into  the  system  in  localities  favorable  to  this  enterprise. 
If  this  is  done,  enough  cows  should  be  maintained  to  keep  a  second 
man  practically  busy  with  their  care  and  management,  since  the 
crops  and  hogs  keep  one  man  well  employed.  Another  live-stock 
enterprise  suitable  for  combination  with  the  system  here  outlined 
is  the  keeping  of  brood  mares  to  do  the  work  and  raise  colts.  With 
any  of  these  additional  live-stock  enterprises  the  farm  should  be  of 
sufficient  size  to  permit  the  sixth  field  to  remain  in  permanent  pasture 
and  still  allow  the  other  fields  to  be  of  good  size. 

THE  SIZE  OF  THE  FIELDS. 

In  carrying  out  this  system  to  the  best  advantage,  the  fields  should 
not  be  less  than  about  20  acres.  In  a  4-year  rotation  this  would  call 
for  80  acres  of  tillable  land  and  would  just  about  represent  a  1-man 
3-horse  farm  in  this  latitude.  In  the  5-year  rotation  plan  it  would 
call  for  100  acres  of  tillable  land,  and  this  could  still  be  handled 
with  the  same  working  force.  The  sizes  of  the  fields  may  be  increased 
up  to  40  acres,  beyond  which  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  acreage 
should  be  extended.  If  the  fields  are  made  to  include  40  acres  on 
the  4-year  plan,  it  would  call  for  160  acres  of  tillable  land,  and  on  the 
5-year  plan  there  would  be  200  acres  in  the  rotation.  If  one  field 
should  be  added  and  the  same  size  maintained,  there  would  be  240 
acres  in  all.  With  this  sixth  field  left  in  permanent  pasture,  the 
entire  farm  can  be  handled  by  one  man  with  the  assistance  of  a  hired 
hand  during  the  summer,  provided  he  is  equipped  with  a  good 
4-horse  team  and  all  machinery  to  correspond.  The  only  extra  labor 
that  would  be  required  would  be  while  putting  up  40  acres  of  hay  and 
cutting  and  husking  40  acres  of  corn.  If  modern  machinery  is  used, 
but  little  extra  labor  will  be  required,  even  for  these  operations. 

By  plowing  one  of  the  fields  for  corn  late  in  the  fall,  such  a  plan 
is  perfectly  feasible,  and  there  would  be  no  rush  season  when  the 
work  could  not  be  managed  with  a  reasonable  degree  of  comfort. 
To  carry  this  out,  it  would  be  necessary  to  have  the  sows  farrow  their 
spring  litters  early  in  March,  so  as  to  require  very  little  attention 


A   CORN-BELT    FARMING    SYSTEM.  / 

after  the  season  for  field  work  opens.  The  fall  litters  should  be  far- 
rowed about  September  1,  as  this  is  another  time  of  year  when 
work  would  not  be  pressing. 

It  will  be  seen  that  this  S3^stem  of  managing  a  farm  is  capable  of 
great  possibilities  in  extending  the  area  that  one  man  can  handle. 
For  small  farms  it  probably  has  less  value;  but  it  fits  well  into  any 
scheme  of  farming  medium  and  large  acreages.  It  is  especially 
suited  to  farms  on  which  the  labor  conditions  are  difficult  to  meet 
and  to  farms  that  a.re  in  a  low  state  of  fertility.  The  method  of 
disposing  of  half  the  corn  and  all  the  rye  is  such  that  it  builds  up  the 
soil  rapidly,  and  the  labor  saved  in  allowing  the  hogs  to  harvest 
these  crops  and  a  great  part  of  the  clover  is  a  very  important  advan- 
tage over  the  ordinary  system. 

THE  RYE  CROP. 

One  of  the  very  distinctive  features  of  this  farm  system  is  the  rye 
crop  and  the  part  it  plays  in  the  general  details  of  management. 
There  is  no  other  crop  that  will  fit  in  so  well  as  rye  and  none  that 
will  take  its  place  in  carrying  out  this  system  in  its  most  desirable 
form  in  the  corn  belt.  In  the  first  place  it  is  a  fall  grain,  which  is 
absolutely  necessary  in  order  to  get  the  most  desirable  distribution 
of  labor.  Wheat  might  fill  this  requirement,  but  there  are  many 
features  about  wheat  that  make  it  very  much  less  desirable  for  this 
purpose  than  rye.  Wheat  is  less  certain  to  yield  a  good  crop,  and 
rye  can  be  sown  much  later  in  the  fall,  if  necessary,  with  greater 
assurance  of  success.  Wheat  can  be  hogged  down  in  small  acreages 
as  well  as  rye,  provided  it  is  eaten  quickly,  before  it  has  time  to  waste. 
The  straw  of  wheat  will  break  near  the  ground  and  allow  the  grain 
to  lie  flat  on  the  ground,  whereas  rye  straw  breaks  higher  up  and  near 
the  heads  and  thus  keeps  the  grain  off  the  soil,  preventing  it  from 
rotting  before  the  hogs  have  had  time  to  gather  it.  When  allowed 
to  stand  after  it  is  ripe,  wheat  will  shatter  out,  while  rye  will  be  re- 
tained in  the  heads  until  very  late  in  the  fall  or  early  winter. 

There  is  some  objection  to  rye  when  used  as  outlined  in  this  system 
in  the  dry  regions  of  the  West,  on  account  of  the  grain  remaining  so 
hard  that  the  hogs  will  not  eat  it,  and,  therefore,  wheat  for  such  sec- 
tions is  more  desirable  for  hogging  down  than  rye.  But  in  the  corn 
belt  there  is  no  trouble  of  this  kind,  provided  tlje  rye  crop  is  allowed 
to  stand  in  the  field  unmolested  for  a  period -of  two  weeks  after  it  is 
ripe.  When  this  is  done,  the  beards  lose  their  sharpness,  the  grain 
softens  and  becomes  more  palatable,  and  the  hogs  waste  no  time  in 
taking  hold  of  their  new  feed.  This  wait  of  two  weeks  is  absolutely 
necessary,  or  there  will  be  great  disappointment  in  the  hogging  down 
of  rye.  Many  have  condemned  the  practice  merely  because  this  pre- 
caution was  not  observed.  Another  mistake  that  is  often  made  is  to 
89356°— 17 2 


8  FARMERS'  BULLETIN  614. 

feed  corn  when  the  hogs  are  gathering  the  rye,  thinking  that  thereby 
their  growth  will  be  hastened.  After  the  hogs  have  been  on  the  rye 
for  a  few  days  the  corn  ration  should  be  gradually  lessened  until  none 
is  fed.  If  corn  is  fed,  the  hogs  will  simply  eat  that  much  less  rye. 

Rye  possesses  other  advantages  over  wheat.  Aside  from  being  a 
more  certain  crop,  rye  will  do  better  on  poor  soil  than  wheat.  In 
many  sections  of  the  corn  belt  wheat  is  hardly  a  profitable  crop,  and 
many  farmers  say  they  grow  it  merely  in  order  to  get  a  stand  of 
clover  and  are  inquiring  what  they  must  do  to  get  away  from  raising 
wheat.  Rye,  when  managed  as  it  is  in  this  system,  offers  a  solution 
of  this  problem.  It  not  only  takes  the  place  of  the  wheat  crop  where 
the  yield  of  wheat  is  low  and  unprofitable,  but  it  offers  a  better 
chance  of  success  with  the  clover  crop  that  is  sown  in  it.  Rye  grows 
tall  and  does  not  produce  so  dense  a  shade  as  wheat,  and  it  therefore 
gives  the  clover  a  better  opportunity  to  thrive. 

In  carrying  out  this  general  plan  with  the  rye  crop  it  is  the  most 
common  practice  to  pasture  it  with  the  hogs  for  a  while  during  the 
early  spring.  This  is  not  only  a  beneficial  thing  for  the  hogs,  but 
their  trampling  helps  to  sink  the  clover  seed  into  the  soil  and  is  an 
important  item  in  securing  a  stand  of  clover.  Figure  3  shows  a  good 
bunch  of  pigs  grazing  on  rye  early  in  the  spring  and  the  splendid 
pasturage  they  are  getting. 

Another  important  feature  about  the  practice  of  hogging  down  rye 
which  must  not  be  overlooked  is  its  contribution  toward  the  building 
up  of  the  soil  and  the  maintenance  of  soil  fertility.  All  the  rye  straw 
and  practically  80  per  cent  of  the  fertilizing  value  of  the  grain  is 


FIG.  3.— Hogs  grazing  on  rye  in  the  spring. 


A   CORN-BELT    FARMING    SYSTEM. 


FIG.  4.— A  splendid  growth  of  rye,  with  the  hogging-down  process  just  beginning. 

immediately  put  back  on  the  field  and  is  better  distributed  than  would 
be  possiblb  oy  any  other  system  of  feeding  and  distributing  the 
manure.  It  is  possible,  even  on  poor  land,  to  produce  immense 
growths  of  rye  straw  with  fair  yields  of  grain.  This  straw  furnishes 
great  quantities  of  the  vegetable  matter  and  humus-forming  material 
that  is  so  essential  to  all  soils.  The  crop  of  rye  shown  in  figure  4  was 
grown  on  only  medium  soil  with  the  aid  of  200  pounds  of  acid  phos- 
phate per  acre.  Turning  back  such  quantities  of  straw  soon  makes  a 
decided  change,  even  on  very  poor  soil. 

An  item  of  no  little  importance  is  the  ease  with  which  the  hogs  take 
care  of  themselves  while  hogging  off  the  rye  crop  and  eating  the  young 
clover  that  has  grown  up  therein.  During  the  hot  season  of  July  and 
August  the  hogs  lie  in  the  shade  during  midday,  but  about  sundown 
start  out  in  the  rye  field  and  work  there  generally  all  night,  coming  in 
late  the  following  morning.  If  plenty  of  pure  water  is  furnished  them, 
this  is  all  the  attention  they  require,  and  they  will  continue  to  do  the 
work  of  Harvest  hands  very  effectively. 

Compared  with  the  cost  of  harvesting,  thrashing,  and  marketing  the 
grain  it  has  been  determined  that  each  hog  will  do  about  1  cent's 
worth  of  work  per  day.  This,  taken  into  account  with  the  fact  that 
each  hog  will  make  a  very  creditable  gain  of  one-half  to  three-fourths 
of  a  pound  per  day,  and  in  some  cases  a  pound,  during  a  time  when 
the  labor  situation  is  most  tense,  is  a  big  factor  in  the  economic 
management  of  the  farm. 

The  composition  of  rye  grain  is  about  the  same  as  that  of  corn, 
being  only  slightly  higher  in  protein  than  corn.  Young  clover,  when 
eaten  with  ripe  rye,  makes  an  excellent  ration,  which  produces  a 
smooth,  "growthy"  type  of  hog  that  is  in  just  the  right  condition  to 
put  on  fat  rapidly  when  given  a  corn  diet  later. 


10 


FARMERS'  BULLETIN  614. 


*  Figure  5  shows  a  rye  field  that  is  nearly  harvested  and  the  splendid 
hogs  that  it  has  produced. 

THE  MONEY  INCOME  PER  ACRE. 

The  money  value  of  an  acre  of  rye,  whether  hogged  down  or 
thrashed  and  sold  on  the  market,  is  not  great;  hence,  on  smaller 
farms  of  40  to  60  acres  of  fertile  soil  this  crop  with  this  method  of 
management  will  not  have  so  much  place  as  on  larger  farms  that  are 
less  productive.  On  the  smaller  farms  it  is  desirable  to  grow  crops 
that  will  bring  a  greater  profit  per  acre,  even  though  a  greater  outlay 
of  labor  is  necessary.  If,  however,  this  demand  for  extra  labor  can 
not  be  met,  then  rye  and  the  practice  of  hogging  it  down  still  have  a 
place  on  the  smaller  farm,  and  especially  if  such  farms  are  in  a  run- 
down condition. 

Under  average  conditions  in  the  corn  belt  1 7  bushels  of  rye  per  acre 
is  a  good  yield.  This,  when  sold  on  the  market  at  70  cents  per  bushel 
(which  is  a  liberal  standard  price),  will  bring  $11.90.  The  income 
when  the  crop  is  hogged  down  will  vary  with  the  price  of  hogs.  With 
the  young  clover  that  grows  up  in  the  rye,  a  17-bushel  acre  of  rye  will 
produce  approximately  200  pounds  of  pork  without  any  outside  or 
supplementary  feeds.  This,  when  sold  at  6  cents  per  pound,  will 
bring  $12  per  acre,  and  at  7  cents,  $14. 


FIG.  5. — A  field  of  rye  and  young  clover  nearly  hogged  off  and  the  thrifty  hogs  that  have  been  doing 

the  work. 


A   CORN-BELT  FARMING   SYSTEM.  11 

In  collecting  data  on  the  income  derived  from  an  acre  of  rye  when 
hogged  down,  it  has  been  repeatedly  shown  that  this  is  about  the  same 
as  when  the  crop  is  cut,  thrashed,  and  sold.  Generally,  there  has 
been  a  slight  advantage  in  favor  of  the  hogging-down  process.  This 
varies  somewhat,  and  in  some  cases  this  advantage  has  been  consid- 
erable. In  addition  to  yielding  an  equal  or  slightly  greater  money 
income,  the  hogging-down  method  permits  the  rye  to  stand  through- 
out the  hot,  dry  season  and  come  down  gradually,  thus  furnishing  a 
protection  for  the  young  clover;  it  saves  the  labor  involved  in  har- 
vesting, thrashing,  and  marketing  the  crop,  and  is  a  very  important 
means  of  building  up  the  soil.  Even  if  the  two  methods  yield  the 
same  financial  returns,  that  of  hogging  down  the  crop  is  decidedly 
superior,  in  that  it  protects  the  clover,  builds  up  the  soil,  and  saves 
the  labor  of  harvesting,  thrashing,  and  marketing  the  grain. 

RYE  OR  WHEAT— WHICH? 

There  may  be  some  question  when  this  farm  system  is  considered 
for  the  average  corn-belt  farm  as  to  whether  it  is  not  better  to  continue 
growing  wheat  than  to  substitute  rye  with  the  practice  of  hogging  it 
off.  This  is  a  question  that  must  be  worked  out  and  answered  sepa- 
rately on  each  farm. 

In  deciding  this  question  there  are  many  things  that  must  be  con- 
sidered. The  first  is  the  man  himself.  Has  the  man  who  will  operate 
the  farm  an  inclination  toward  swine  raising  or  a  dislike  for  it  ?  Has 
he  or  can  he  acquire  sufficient  skill  in  this  to  be  reasonably  sure  of 
raising  the  number  of  hogs  each  year  that  would  be  required  to  harvest 
the  rye  crop  ?  The  next  item  is  the  equipment  and  fences  on  the  farm. 
Is  the  farm  so  fenced  or  can  it  be  so  fenced  that  hogs  of  all  sizes  may 
be  kept  in  all  fields  ?  Certain  equipment  for  housing  the  brood  sows 
and  their  litters  will  be  necessary  also.  Is  it  desirable  to  furnish  the 
fence  and  other  equipment  necessary,  or  continue  more  along  crop- 
farming  lines,  of  which  wheat  growing  and  selling  shall  be  a  part  ? 
Finally,  the  item  of  labor  must  be  considered.  Is  there  labor  available 
to  handle  the  wheat  crop  without  seriously  hindering  the  other  farm 
operations?  If  not,  even  if  it  is  more  profitable,  it  may  be  advisable 
to  substitute  rye  and  the  practice  of  hogging  it  down. 

THE  CORN  CROP. 

The  corn  crop  is  a  very  important  factor  in  the  success  of  this 
system.  On  farms  where  corn  yields  are  extremely  low  this  plan 
would  require  the  purchase  of  a  large  amount  of  corn,  and  it  might 
not  be  feasible  until  the  soil  has  been  built  up  to  a  point  where  a  fair 
yield  of  corn  may  be  expected.  It  might  be  better  in  such  cases  to 
run  the  farm  as  a  grain  farm,  with  such  legumes  as  soy  beans  or  cow- 
peas  as  cash  crops,  until  the  soil  has  been  built  up  to  at  least  a  moder- 
ate degree  of  fertility  by  this  means  and  by  the  use  of  such  green 


12  FARMERS'  BULLETIN  614. 

manures  and  other  soil  amendments  as  the  farmer  can  afford  under 
the  circumstances.  An  alternative  would  be  to  reduce  the  number 
of  hogs  in  proportion  to  the  corn  yield,  say  to  three  or  four  for  each 
acre  of  rye,  instead  of  six.  By  doing  this  the  rye  will  last  longer  and 
less  corn  will  be  required. 

The  possibility  of  securing  at  least  fair  yields  of  corn  should  be  kept 
in  mind  in  putting  this  plan  in  operation  outside  of  the  corn  belt 
proper.  With  the  precautions  mentioned  above,  this  system  as  a 
whole,  or  modifications  of  it,  should  be  of  value  in  the  reorganization 
of  a  large  number  of  farms  in  other  sections  as  well. 

The  system  proper  should  always  include  two  fields  of  corn,  as 
shown  in  figure  2.  One  field  should  be  cut  and  shocked  and  later 
shredded,  in  order  to  furnish  bedding,  while  the  fodder  is  being  fed 
in  the  barn.  All  or  a  part  of  the  other  field  should  be  hogged  down 
as  it  may  seem  wise  to  do  under  the  circumstances  at  hand.  All  the 
fields  in  the  rotation  should  be  of  approximately  the  same  size.  With 
this  arrangement  and  corn  yielding  60  bushels  per  acre,  ample  corn 
will  be  produced  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  farm.  If  the  yields  are 
lower  than  this,  the  number  of  hogs  must  be  cut  down  accordingly, 
or  the  difference  made  up  by  buying  corn. 

The  practice  of  hogging  down  corn  which  is  called  for  in  this  system 
of  management  is  so  prevalent  throughout  the  corn  belt  that  it  is  not 
necessary  to  discuss  it  at  length.1  Farmers  have  learned  that  when 
properly  handled  it  is  a  most  successful  and  profitable  farm  practice. 
It  is  not  wasteful,  it  saves  a  great  amount  of  labor  during  a  rush  sea- 
son when  outside  labor  is  badly  needed,  and  it  immediately  returns 
to  the  soil  most  of  the  fertility  contained  in  the  corn  crop.  In  addi- 
tion to  this,  by  plowing  down  the  cornstalks  and  the  remaining  vege- 
tation left  by  the  rape  and  soy  beans  sown  in  the  corn,  a  large  amount 
of  vegetable  matter  is  turned  under,  which  is  very  important  if  crop 
yields  are  to  be  increased  and  maintained. 

The  general  experience  is  that  a  part  of  the  field  should  be  set  off 
by  a  temporary  fence  2  and  that  the  hogs  should  not  be  allowed  to 
cover  too  large  an  area  at  one  time.  This  precaution  is  a  big  factor 
in  preventing  waste,  and  it  avoids  the  possibility  of  having  to  leave 
the  fieM  only  partly  gathered  if  it  should  become  necessary  to  sell 
tha  hogs  before  the  work  is  finished.  This  is  especially  desirable 
with  this  system,  since  only  six  hogs  are  to  be  raised  for  each  acre  of 
corn  to  be  hogged  off.  In  this  case,  it  will  take  the  six  hogs,  three  of 
which  will  be  fall  shotes  and  three  spring  pigs,  about  60  days  to  hog  off 
an  acre  of  corn  yielding  60  bushels.  Very  often  it  may  not  be  desir- 
able to  allow  the  hogs  to  cover  more  than  one-half  or  two-thirds  of  the 
field.  It  would  seem  advisable,  therefore,  to  fence  off  from  5  to  8  acres 

1  For  a  lull  discussion  of  the  practice  of  hogging  down  corn,  see  Bulletin  143,  Iowa  Agricultural  Experi- 
ment Station,  and  Bulletin  104,  Minnesota  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 

2  This  fencing  is  easily  done  by  setting  good  anchor  posts  at  each  side  of  the  field,  stretching  25-inch  woven- 
wire  fence,  and  tying  it  to  the  hills  of  corn. 


A   CORN-BELT  FARMING   SYSTEM.  13 

at  a  time  and  have  this  cleaned  up  well  before  moving  the  fence.  It 
is  good  practice  also  to  allow  the  brood  sows  and  their  fall  litters  to  fol- 
low later  to  gather  up  what  little  waste  corn  may  be  left  in  the  field. 
When  the  hogging  down  of  corn,  properly  managed,  is  combined 
with  the  hogging  down  of  rye  and  the  pasturing  of  clover,  as  outlined 
in  this  paper,  the  result  is  one  of  the  most  economical  and  efficient 
of  farm  systems  and  one  that  will  meet  many  of  the  most  urgent  farm 
problems  in  the  corn  belt. 

THE  SOURCES  OF  INCOME. 

It  is  evident  that  the  principal  income  from  this  system  is  to  be 
derived  from  the  sale  of  hogs.  In  addition,  there  will  be  a  calf  or 
two  for  sale  each  year.  The  hay  needed  for  the  horses  and  cows  will 
be  cut  from  the  hog  pasture  shown  as  field  No.  4  in  figure  2.  This 
will  permit  the  sale  of  all  the  hay  cut  from  field  No.  5. 

THE  LABOR  PROBLEM. 

One  of  the  most  striking  features  of  this  system  is  the  way  it 
meets  and  solves  the  labor  problem.  The  chief  aim  has  been 
to  grow  only  those  crops  that  do  not  compete  seriously  for  la- 
bor, to  eliminate  as  much  labor  as  possible  at  the  rush  seasons 
by  the  harvesting  of  crops  with  live  stock,  and  so  to  distribute  the 
necessary  labor  throughout  the  year  as  to  enable  a  given  crew  to 
handle  a  maximum  acreage  with  the  least  possible  amount  of  outside 
labor.  How  effectively  this  is  accomplished  is  shown  by  the  accom- 
panying chart  (fig.  6),  which  shows  graphically  the  amount  of  time 
available  for  field  work  throughout  an  average  season  and  the  amount 
of  work  of  this  character  that  is  required  during  each  month  on  a 
100-acre  farm  run  by  this  system.  Figure  7  shows  the  additional 
labor  required  to  take  care  of  10  brood  sows  and  their  litters  under 
this  system  of  management. 

The  labor  on  the  100-acre  farm,  as  charted  in  figure  6,  is  done  by 
one  man  and  three  horses,  with  a  very  small  amount  of  outside  help. 
The  crops  are  two  20-acre  fields  of  corn,  20  acres  of  rye,  20  acres 
of  clover  and  timothy,  and  20  acres  of  timothy.  The  labor  indi- 
cated in  figure  6  also  includes  the  growing  of  two  acres  of  potatoes. 
By  plowing  one  field  for  corn  in  the  fall  the  one  man  and  three  horses 
are  able  to  handle  all  the  spring  work  within  the  limits  of  available 
time,  get  the  corn  in,  cultivate  it,  and  produce  the  crop  without 
assistance.  The  next  operation  is  that  of  putting  up  the  hay,  and  even 
with  the  most  modern  haying  machinery  some  extra  labor  is  needed. 

As  previously  stated  under  "  The  system  of  live-stock  management," 
the  hogs  are  turned  in  on  the  rye  field  (fig.  2,  No.  3)  about  July  15 
and  allowed  to  harvest  that  crop.  On  account  of  this  the  man  and 
his  team  are  practically  relieved  from  field  work  after  the  hay  is 
put  up  until  early  in  September,  when  one  field  of  corn  must  be  cut 
and  20  acres  of  rye  sown.  The  harvesting  of  the  hay  will  be  done 


14 


FARMERS     BULLETIN   614. 


by  the  last  of  July,  and,  with  the  possible  exception  of  a  day  or  two 
during  August  in  finishing  the  haying  job,  there  will  be  no  field 
work  to  be  done  from  then  until  the  second  10-day  period  of  Septem- 
ber, when  corn  cutting  begins.  Thus,  there  are  about  five  weeks 
when  the  man  and  his  team  would  be  idle,  but  this  is  thrashing 
time  and  he  can  help  his  neighbors  and  do  the  work  indicated  in 
figure  6  as  extra  labor,  in  order  to  pay  back  the  labor  he  would  be 
forced  to  hire  when  shredding  a  part  of  the  20  acres  of  corn  in  field 
No.  1  of  figure  2,  this  being  necessary  to  provide  bedding  in  the 
barn.  While  extra  labor  to  the  extent  of  16  extra  hands  and  6  extra 
teams  is  shown  in  figure  6  during  the  last  10  days  of  October  for 


FIG.  6.— Diagram  showing  the  distribution  of  iabor  for  one  man  and  three  horses  on  a  100-acre  corn-belt 
farm  when  run  on  the  plan  described  in  this  bulletin.  Explanation:  A=man  days,  B=3-horse  team 
days,  C=  extra  man  labor,  D=  extra  horse  labor,  E= exchange  man  labor,  F=  exchange  horse  labor, 
G=  available  time  for  one  man  and  three  horses. 

doing  the  shredding,  this  labor  is  paid  for  during  August  and  the 
first  10  days  of  September  by  helping  these  men  in  thrashing  their 
wheat  and  oats. 

With  the  extra  labor  taken  care  of  in  this  manner  there  will  still 
remain  about  10  days  of  extra  labor  during  hay  harvest  that  must 
be  paid  for  in  cash.  With  this  small  amount  of  hired  help  and  the 
assistance  of  the  hogs  in  harvesting  the  20  acres  of  rye,  20  acres  of 
corn,  and  the  greater  part  of  20  acres  of  clover  and  timothy,  one 
man  and  three  horses  can  do  the  work  on  a  100-acre  corn-belt  farm. 

Figure  7  shows  the  labor  required  in  the  care  of  10  sows  and  their 
litters  during  the  entire  year.  This  must  be  done  in  addition  to 
the  regular  farm  work.  A  glance  at  figures  6  and  7  will  show  how  well 
the  labor  required  by  the  hogs  fits  in  with  the  other  farm  operations 


A   COBN-BELT   FARMING  I 


and  helps  fill  in  the  program  during  slack  periods  of  the  regular  work. 
During  the  winter  months  there  is  little  work  the  farmer  can  do 
profitably,  and  it  is  during  this  season  that  the  heaviest  work  is 
demanded  by  the  hogs.  At  this  time  there  should  be  60  fall  pigs, 
10  brood  sows,  and  1  boar  to  care  for,  feed,  water,  slop,  bed,  etc. 
The  amount  of  time  actually  put  in  at  this  will  vary  with  the  man 
and  the  arrangements  for  handling  the  hogs.  The  fall  pigs  should  be 
divided  into  two  or  three  lots,  according  to  size.  If  these  are  scat- 
tered somewhat  and  the  feeding  done  out  of  doors,  portable  shelter 
houses  being  used  both  for  the  shotes  and  the  sows,  more  than  4 
hours  a  day  will  be  necessary.  If  the  shotes  are  allowed  to  run 
together  in  one  herd  and  are  housed  in  a  large,  permanent  house 
and  the  sows  kept  together  in  a  part  of  the  same  building,  less  time 


JAN.    FEB.    MAR    APR    MAY    JUNE  JULY   AUG    SEPr   OCT    NQV    DEC 


FIG.  7.— Diagram  showing  the  amount  and  distribution  of  labor  required  by  10  brood  sows  and  120 
pigs  by  the  system  of  management  described  in  this  bulletin. 

will  be  required.  Under  ordinary  conditions  4  hours  a  day  will  be 
required  for  this  work  throughout  the  corn  belt  for  the  winter  months. 
The  two  litters  of  pigs  produced  each  year  are  farrowed  between 
March  1  and  15  and  September  1  and  15.  This  accounts  for  the 
extra  amount  of  work  with  the  hogs  at  these  two  periods.  A  glance 
at  figure  6  shows  that  at  these  periods  the  farmer  has  practically  no 
field  work  to  do  and  can  well  devote  his  time  to  the  care  of  the  sows 
and  their  young  litters,  together  with  whatever  attention  the  shotes 
may  require.  From  September  1  to  15  there  is  more  work  to  be  done 
in  connection  with  the  hogs  than  at  any  other  period  of  the  year. 
During  this  time  the  fall  litters  are  farrowed  and  the  shotes  are  fed 
corn  in  order  to  get  them  on  full  feed  before  turning  them  into  the 
cornfield  which  is  to  t}e  hogged  down.  For  a  few  days  old  corn  is 
fed,  but  gradually  new  corn  takes  its  place.  This  is  gathered  from 
the  field,  and  stillfurther  increases  the  labor  at  this  time.  This  consti- 
tutes the  busiest  season  of  the  year  for  this  kind  of  work,  but  it  comes 
when  there  is  the  least  amount  of  regular  farm  work  to  be  done. 


16  'V       FARMKHS'   BULLETIN   614. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  hogs  are  an  effective  means  of  cutting  down 
the  labor  at  rush  seasons,  of  avoiding  the  expense  and  annoyance  of 
securing  much  hired  labor,  and  of  transferring  the  bulk  of  this  labor 
to  other  seasons  of  the  year,  when  the  farmer  can  do  the  work  him- 
self. By  following  a  system  of  this  kind  the  amount  of  outside  or 
extra  labor  needed  is  extremely  small.  Aside  from  the  saving  in 
money,  this  independence  of  outside  circumstances  is  desirable. 

SUMMARY. 

Labor  is  the  most  difficult  problem  to  meet  on  the  average  corn- 
belt  farm.  This  condition  is  growing  worse  instead  of  better  and 
will  probably  make  it  necessary  to  reorganize  a  large  number  of 
farms  in  that  section.  Unless  systems  of  farming  are  adopted  that 
will  eliminate  a  part  of  the  work  required  at  rush  seasons,  it  means 
cutting  down  the  acreage  that  each  farmer  can  handle  and  the  net 
income  as  well. 

By  force  of  necessity  many  farmers  throughout  this  section  have 
devised  such  a  system  and  have  formulated  about  the  same  rotation 
and  general  plan  of  operation.  The  fact  that  they  can  plant  and 
cultivate  more  crops  than  they  can  harvest  has  led  them  to  resort  to 
gathering  much  of  their  crops  with  live  stock  and  to  planting  such 
crops  as  will  lend  themselves  to  this  mode  of  harvesting.  The  possi- 
bilities of  saving  labor  and  extending  the  acreage,  and  thus  increasing 
the  income,  by  this  method  are  only  beginning  to  be  realized. 

Swine  are  a  class  of  live  stock  admirably  suited  to  solve  this 
particular  farm  problem.  These  animals  most  successfully  and  profit- 
ably harvest  the  greatest  variety  of  farm  crops.  Rye,  corn,  clover, 
soy  beans,  rape,  and  other  forage  crops  that  can  be  grown  in  the 
corn  belt  are  harvested  thus  with  a  maximum  of  profit  and  a  mini- 
mum of  labor  to  the  farmer. 

Rye  and  the  hogging  off  of  this  crop  offer  a  substitute  for  wheat, 
which  has  become  unprofitable  on  many  farms  of  this  section.  Under 
ordinary  conditions  a  price  greater  than  that  given  for  rye  on  the 
market  is  obtained,  and  all  of  the  rye  straw  and  about  80  per  cent 
of  the  fertilizing  value  of  the  grain  are  returned  immediately  to  the 
soil  by  this  process. 

The  money  return  per  acre  from  the  rye  crop,  either  when  hogged 
off  or  sold  on  the  market,  is  not  great.  When  hogged  off,  this  varies 
with  the  price  of  hogs,  but  will  generally  be  more  than  if  the  rye  is 
sold.  If  the  yield  of  wheat  is  20  bushels  or  more  per  acre,  it  is  doubtful 
whether  rye  should  be  substituted,  but  even  then  the  labor  situation 
may  force  the  adoption  of  rye,  together  with  the  hogging-off  process. 

Corn  and  clover  are  most  profitably  and  economically  harvested 
by  hogs,  and  the  fertility  contained  in  these  crops  is  thereby  returned 
to  the  soil  with  the  least  possible  loss.  When  these  crops  are  com- 
bined with  rye  and  harvested  in  the  same  manner,  using  either  a  4, 
5,  or  6  year  rotation,  a  most  efficient  farm  system  for  the  corn  beit 
is  the  result.  It  meets  the  labor  problem,  builds  up  the  soil,  con- 
serves fertility,  and  yields  a  satisfactory  income. 

The  ever-present  danger  from  hog  cholera  in  any  system  of  farming 
involving  swine  is  fully  recognized,  but  on  a  number  of  farms  which 
are  using  the  system  here  outlined  this  danger  has  been  successfully 
obviated  by  inoculation  with  hog-cholera  serum. 


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21-100m-l,'54(1887sl6)476 


Pamphlet 
Binder 

I  Gaylord  Bros.,  Inc. 

I  Makers 

I  Stockton,  Calif. 

I  PAT.  »H.  21,  1308 


TU  bUJf: 


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3G5712 


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